Like a Moth to the Flame
by Kenobi1
Summary: Strange things start showing up in Queens and New York City, haunting the streets in the cover of darkness, and Peter is caught in the mix. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange goes to investigate a new, deadly form of dark magic. Two seperate paths cause the superhero and sorcerer worlds to collide. Disclaimer: I dont own anything! Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Avengers crossover
1. Chapter 1) Shady Stranger and Werewolves

**So I've started another story! I promise that I haven't abandoned Vetiti, but that one is hard to work on and needs a _lot_ of editing. I apologize for any grammatical errors of plot holes. This wasn't meant to be a detailed fanfiction but it ran a lot longer than I thought it would. The story will be a Doctor Strange, Spider-Man, and Avengers crossover, mainly focusing on Peter and later Doctor Strange. I'm going to call this my MCAU (Marvel Cinematic Alternate Universe) because it is definitely an alternate universe, but there are some MCU aspects in here. At this point in time, Doctor Strange is pretty closely related to the MCU, but continued along the timeline a little farther. Spider-Man hasn't met the Avengers, but Age of Ultron has occurred. Thank you for looking at my story, and I hope that you enjoy!**

A shadow developed into existence, and a dull hum joined it. With the wave of carefully constructed fingers, a light flicked across the air. The humming intensified. Darkness molded back into place after the absence of the fiery light. As the hum grew to a forte, the figure dissolved, and the hum morphed into a violet flare of energy that splintered the darkness. The dark violet energy shot toward the ground and dispersed with a resounding crack.

He stood from his chair with an inaudible groan as a bell's screech echoed through midtown high. A run in with a super earlier that morning on his patrol throughout the city left him with several lasting bruises, even considering his healing factor. Peter never enjoyed any visits with super villains, especially on school days.

"Mr. Parker! Your test," the man at the front of the room called. Peter took the paper from the dark hand and examined his results. He hadn't gotten any time to study for it because of a fight with a super who evaded the avengers' attention and was left for him to handle. This super villain called himself 'The Machine', and Peter had enjoyed the luxury of giving the person grief. 'The machine' did actually have a metal suit of armor that Peter accused him of being too much like Iron Man's, and too similar a name to War Machine. This suit didn't pull any punches though, and 'The Machine' managed to get a lick in. Peter stumbled home with a concussion and some bruised ribs on his left side that night.

He sucked in a breath. The test's grade would be hard to recover from. Peter haphazardly stuffed his paper into his backpack before leaving the classroom.

Senseless gossip filled the background like white noise in the hallway. Another inaudible groan escaped the teen's lips.

Once he left the school, he breathed in the spring air, smiling at how fresh the breeze felt. A boisterous voice broke off his enjoyment.

"Hey, Puny Parker! What are you smiling for? Are you looking forward to my fist?" Flash.

Peter felt the warmth of a hand on his shoulder. "No, he's excited that he doesn't have to see your face!" Mary-Jane defended. A rush of relief washed over him.

"MJ, we need to go. I don't want to have to nurture any more swollen bruises tonight," Peter muttered.

The redhead strode off with a shuffling Peter in tow. Flash attempted to follow, but they turned into an alleyway and effectively threw the stuck-up teenager off.

Peter thanked Mary-Jane before pulling out his phone and checking for any missed phone calls, specifically any from his aunt. When he saw a blank screen, he deemed the coast clear and escorted his girlfriend home.

At her door, he said another thank you and turned to the mob of people again. Peter pushed through the crowd effectively until a somber man clipped his shoulder. The teenager took a second glance at the man. An unpleasant face topped his strange clothes, and he took fierce, confident steps. This man, now that he focused on it, triggered his spider sense ever so slightly.

With a frown, Peter doubled back on the man. This lead him back down the street until the man entered a block of houses. About three houses down, the man's shoulders tensed faintly, and after a moment, the stranger veered off the corner of the block. Ever so slightly, the man's footsteps quickened. Peter barely noticed, but he left the man a few blocks down to circle his way back to the corner of the block.

Just like the other houses nearby, the one on the corner stood a three story house with a strange, arching window on the third floor. Peter frowned again and made a mental note to check back on the block in his patrols.

After observing all of the details from the surrounding houses, he left for the grocery store, planning to pick up a jug of milk. For once in his life, Peter succeeded. The teenager with a milk jug and some eggs blended with the street's people again, letting the current carry him back towards his neighborhood. A beaming smile lit up his face as he called out for his aunt at the door of his hometown . "Aunt May!"

"Peter, dear!" She returned his smile and took the eggs and milk from him. "Thank you for the milk. You were supposed to get it yesterday, but thank you nonetheless."

Peter got a wink from his aunt as she put the items away. "You missed the second half of seventh period yesterday. What happened?"

"Didn't feel too well," he rattled off as he ascended the stairs. Peter sat rather ungracefully on his bed, letting his head smack the pillow. After a moment, the boy sat up and unzipped his backpack to pull out due and overdue assignments. A pencil landed on his bed, and then Peter stood by the mirror, gently lifting up the side of his baggy shirt. A colorful bruise decorated his hidden muscles, spreading across the left side of his stomach in a tender circle. This was probably the result of the bruised ribs from his fight with 'The Machine'. Peter was used to pain, but it still wasn't comfortable.

The teenager decided to take the night off, keeping the man and the neighborhood in mind. By eleven, Peter managed to get most of his homework done so that his teachers didn't flay him. He was done resting mainly because he craved action. Spider-Man swung down the street towards the neighborhood from earlier. All of the houses sat exactly as before. The hero checked it out for a few moments before heading away to check on the rest of the city.

Spider-Man saved a few girls, knocked out a few men and women, and laughed at a mugger's terrified face. He called the night early, observing the glowing lights of the city from a building near Avenger's Tower. His main focus was trying to control the bruise's pain. Spider-Man laid down and blinked at the bright 'A' on the blazing tower.

The bell rang again. Mary-Jane made him smile again. Peter walked her home again. Spider-Man watched for the man from the day before. Aunt May smiled at him on his way in. Spider-Man swung through the city. Peter fell asleep.

A sneer flared out at anyone who looked at the hooded, somber man. It was dark and anyone who saw his face backed away. He knew they were afraid of being mugged. The thought made him laugh.

A low chuckle disturbed the air of the relatively calm side walk.

The man saw a slim figure on the top of a building staring down at the street dwellers below. He avoided the figure's gaze with a simple gesture. It wasn't needed because the shadow stood and ran off the side of the building before swinging off into the distance. Several cars screeched near an explosion. The man giggled.

Spider-Man abandoned his post over the street. His spider sense was the one to alert him this time. A quick web to secure his backpack, and he was heading towards the potential threat.

The superhero didn't have to search very hard. Fire shot from a building, creating a force that shoved him against a nearby building. He peeled himself off of the small crater in the wall. A blinding pain from him left ribs paralyzed the hero for a second, while a wolffish creature standing on two legs emerged. Spider-Man groaned, "Now we've got werewolves in New York?"

 **By the way, it is not an actual werewolf/wolf/dog, it just kind of looks like one. Updates will be weekly starting next Sunday, and they should be pretty on schedule because I have already finished the story. Thank you so much for reading! Follow/Love if you enjoyed it, and have a great day!**

 **~ _Kenobi1_**


	2. Chapter 2) The Stark Expo

Spider-Man dragged himself out from underneath a pile of debris that the weirdo he had teasingly named 'Dog Breath' had buried him under. He webbed the fur on the back of the creature and ripped it off, effectively waxing part of its back. It roared in pain.

 _Definitely not human. At least in this state._

"So, Dog Breath, how did this," the superhero motioned to the brown and grey hair on the creature, "happen? Please tell it wasn't a failed science experiment. That's how everything happens these days." The wolf turned and narrowed its eyes at the red and blue spider who took it as an answer. "Oh, so unoriginal! I'm disappointed!"

He dodged a few uncomfortable-looking claws.

"Okay! I get it! You don't want to play!" Spider-Man exclaimed. The creature roared again, sending drops of spit all over the superhero. "Someone needs to brush..." The comment was muttered and lost in the screeching of fleeing cars.

After several failed attempts to get in close enough to "fist-fight" with the creature, the spider resorted to his web-shooters.

Spider-Man sent a few webs towards the wolf, hitting the fur and connecting the ends to surrounding buildings. The creature struggled and yelped as he tugged at his fur. Peter raised an eyebrow underneath his mask. A giant paw ripped through the webs instead leaving white spots the decorate the fur.

Said paw came swinging toward the side of his head before he even realized the beast could completely move.

White pain joined the symphony. "Ahw!" The gasp echoed through his ringing head. Spider-Man couldn't gain his senses fast enough after he fell to the concrete. _Where's Dog Breath?_

With a moan, he picked his head up off the ground, shaking it and focusing it. The creature wasn't even aware of the superhero laying on the street.

A glowing suit of armor was defensively flying between the wolf and the teenage superhero.

Spider-Man joined the avenger in the fight, battling his own pain. With a crisp _thwip!_ Spider-Man shot himself towards the wolf, feet first. It sidestepped a repulser blast but failed to dodge the second onslaught. It whimpered as Spider-Man bruised or potentially cracked one of its ribs. Iron Man singed its fur before it could recover.

Before long, Spider-Man and Iron Man had the creature webbed and secured. "SHEILD will take care of it later," the avenger commented.

"Good to know, Tin Can. I don't want to have to wait with this...this whatever," Spider-Man waved at the creature, and he thought he could hear someone laughing from the faceplate on the suit.

"Tin Can? Seriously. I'm offended. Kids these days. No respect for their elders."

Peter flushed behind his mask. "Why do you think I'm a kid?"

"Your voice sounds like you haven't even hit puberty yet." Iron Man said smugly.

"Well at least I don't act like a kid completely," Spider-Man coughed, but rushed a quick "Thanks" in before the billionaire continued to argue more. Iron Man gave a playful salute before turning back towards Avengers Tower.

Peter beamed under his mask. He always geeked out when he fought with an avenger.

He returned to his backpack before changing and heading home at two in the morning.

Several books and a dusty room filtered in light that outlined a man with closed eyes and a calm face. His breath hitched, and his eyes flicked open.

"Wong!" He called. Another man joined him in the room. A foot extended towards the ground from its crisscrossed position in the dusty air. He joined Wong near the door.

"I believe that there is a threat in another dimension that may involve ours in the future. I might send my astral form there to check it out."

Wong blinked.

Then sighed.

"Which dimension this time?" Wong asked, a dosage of boredom coloring his tone.

"The Ularian Dimension. They contacted me for help."

"I'm assuming you will be personally visiting them in a few days after you check it out?" Wong muttered dryly.

"Yes."

"And what are they contacting about?"

"A new branch of magic. Dark magic," the man finished uneasily.

"Good luck."

The man's cloak rippled. "I shall be back in a day or two. Goodbye until then."

Wong watched as Doctor Strange's eyes rolled back into his head and his body tipped backwards. He wrapped his arms around the other man before he could fall and pulled him to his bedroom. Once the man was situated on the bed with a little help from the relic, Wong left the room and returned to the sanctum's library. A few minutes later, the sorcerer was buried in a book, ignoring a small warning in his head.

"What is a white hole?" Mr. Lowery announced as he wrote the words on the board in the front of the classroom.

Peter imagined yawning in his head, but he raised his hand instead. The teacher looked for anyone else, but as his hand was the only on up, he was chosen after his teacher grumbled about nobody paying attention in class. Peter almost laughed.

"Scientists believe that white holes are the exact opposite of black holes. They spit out matter, while black holes suck in matter. Some even theorize that a black hole becomes a white hole when it dies. Others believe that it could just be the other end of the "worm hole", but that's more about black holes. They are not proven yet, though, but I understand where they got the idea. The Law of Conservation of Matter says that matter cannot be created nor destroyed, so I guess it has to go somewhere."

Peter rattled off before slouching back further into his seat. He caught Mary Jane's proud glance.

Mr. Lowery began to write the facts underneath the underlined word. "Does anyone else have anything to add?" He asked. A couple of other kids joined in the discussion, adding giant gamma ray readings, sudden matter in certain solar systems, among other details and proof. They wrapped up the topic with a worksheet. Peter scribbled as many answered down as he could before the bell rang, ignoring his currently terrible handwriting and jumbled words. He was planning on heading out as Spidey tonight, and the teenager was beginning to run out of excuses.

At lunch, he sat with MJ, discussing Iron Man and the weird wolf-like creature he encountered a few days ago. Peter told her about the man he followed through the streets. He could escape her to go to his next class until he promised to let her see his wounds after school. They were just bruises and scabs by now though.

After his seventh period, he texted his Aunt and told her that he would be going to MJ's house after school and that he should be home by ten. He got a quick response asking him if her parents were there, too, and he texted a yes.

Once Mary Jane had checked on his wounds, they began to review the classes' material before he left through the front door with a goodbye to the Watsons.

Soon he was swinging through the streets of New York sighing and trying to let off stress.

A week from that day, Peter eagerly stood with MJ in front of Avengers Tower. The sun was setting, and the street was buzzing with people. Tonight the Stark Expo was being held on the lower levels of the tower. MJ had managed to snag two tickets (to Peter's amazement), and he couldn't wait to see what Stark came out with.

Several people were pushing towards the doors; they had just opened. The couple just shuffled with the crowd, trying not to get trampled. After a couple claustrophobic moments later, the teenagers were successfully inside a spacious auditorium.

Peter enjoyed every second. He understood every concept. He may not have enough time to get his homework done, but he easily understood any material he came across.

Cheers and applause greeted the great Tony Stark once he was finished with his grand performance of tech and arrogance.

And screams.

 **So here is chapter two right on time! I'm am really excited about this story, and I can't wait to see what you guys think about it. Any feedback would be wonderful, and I would like to thank 14brendale, RosyThorn, DYRISH, and everyone else who Followed/Favorited this story! It makes me so happy! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to post the next one!**

 **~ _Kenobi1_**


	3. Chapter 3) Tony Doesn't Do Half-Ways

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, but I wish I did!

Peter slowly rose from his seat in the auditorium. MJ had a nauseated look of horror on her face. "You don't have the costume, do you?" She murmured quietly to him.

The teenager shook his head slightly, still staring at a giant wolf, strangely similar to the one he fought a week ago. "Hey, MJ... How about we go?" He asked her. Several people were fleeing in the opposite direction, clogging the door maybe almost trampling others. _Not an option apparently._

Of course the only other way out was the door the creature was blocking.

Tony Stark was flexing his wrists with an almost surprised look on his face. Peter knew the billionaire was calling his suit, but before then, the wolf came charging towards the back of the crowd, too close to where he and Mary Jane were siting.

"Get out! I'll manage!" Peter yelled to her as the wolfish creature approached.

"Peter..." she muttered disapprovingly, but did as he told, darting from the line of fire.

The other teenager crouched in anticipation, waiting until the creature was only feet away to make his move. As he dove to the side, a hot, horribly smelling set of teeth collided into one of the seats next to Peter.

As the nerd dragged himself off of a nearby seat, his Spider-Sense screeched. He briefly wondered how these creature could recover so fast, before attempting to face the wolf. Instead, rows of teeth flashed before him. Peter attempted to avoid the attack, but even with his speed and agility, he failed. The teeth sunk deeply into the right side of his torso.

A strangled scream gurgled in the auditorium.

Peter struggled to breath as tears streamed down his face. He could taste blood in his mouth as the pain blossomed like a sickly flower. The teenager was briefly aware of someone yelling "Kid!" and a change in elevation. His arms hung limply, and his newfound wound was jerked harshly to the right along with the rest of his limbs as he, and the creature crashed to the ground.

His vision went white. After the sheet slowly faded, he saw a red and gold faceplate and a worried brunet stared over him. "Kid, stay with us," a metallic voice pleaded distantly. Peter frowned and closed his eyes.

Doctor Strange drifted back towards the Earth in his astral form. He had explored the dark magic he had come for. Now, the sorcerer had only to deal with the matter physically. It took a few seconds to pinpoint the sanctum sanctorum which he gladly headed to.

Doctor Strange found his unconscious body laying flat on his bed.

"Wong?" The doctor called. "I'm back from the Ularian dimension!"

A tired grunt greeted his announcement. Soon the second sorcerer entered the room, eyes wandering, before heading over to help Doctor Strange from the bed.

"When are you leaving?" Wong asked.

"Tomorrow. This is important enough to head back before I'm fully recovered," the Sorcerer Supreme answered.

"Strange, you need to let your body heal from the astral projection. You know this," Wong deadpanned as the doctor stretched his arms.

"My body will be fine," Stephen argued.

Wong warned, "You know what happened last time."

Doctor Strange glanced over at the other sorcerer fearfully, and Wong almost smiled.

"I'll see you in a few days," the doctor finally said.

"And you will immediately sleep because I won't help you next time."

The Sorcerer Supreme left the sanctum via portal rather hastily.

A soft moan met his ears. It took Peter a minute to realize that it was his. He slowly cracked his eyes open only to instantly regret the idea. It felt like waking up for school after a long night of Spider-Man. But he didn't go on patrol last night.

 _What time is it?_

The teenager tried his eyes again, this time more carefully. Even though the light still hurt, he pushed them open further.

A white room stared back at him.

Peter brought his left arm up to rub his eyes. His next move was an attempt to sit up. It didn't go very smoothly. Any thought in his mind abruptly froze. The excruciating pain overrode everything. Peter quickly sucked in a breath. He fell back into the pillows and watched the ceiling.

Eventually the same brunette that he thought he had seen before entered the room.

"I would ask 'how are you feeling', but it's pretty obvious," the man said. "I'm Clint."

"Peter," the teen rasped.

Clint nodded, "Well surprisingly, Tony has been pretty worried about you, kid. It's very rare." Peter frowned at the words.

 _Tony Stark? Caring about someone? What happened?_

"Hey, could you hand me my phone? I have to call my girlfriend before she finishes me off," He asked.

"Sure. Um-" Clint went digging through a pile of papers on the nightstand beside the hospital bed. Once he had the teen's beaten phone, he handed it to him. As Clint went to leave the room, he saw Peter visibly shrink as another teenager's angry voice erupted from the phone's speaker.

Peter flinched. "Peter! You said 'Get out! I'll manage!' So does your definition of _manage_ include getting _bitten in half?!_ "

"MJ-" Peter started.

"No don't _'MJ'_ me! I don't think I'll ever get that image of you getting ripped to shreds _out of my head!_ " Peter heard his girlfriend choke on her breath for a millisecond before tearing into her fiery emotions again. "You could have _died_ right in front of my eyes! Just because I decided that you might actually be okay!"

"MJ, I'm not dead," he finally managed to get out.

"You looked pretty close to it! And after two and a half days, I was starting to assume you _were!_ " It was his turn to suck in a breath.

 _Two and a half days?_

"I'm not dead, Mary Jane. Just breathe," Peter attempted to soothe.

"I'm calling you back later. I'm not done yet." He felt like whimpering.

After another ten minutes, Peter had finished his call with MJ. He slumped back against the pillows again, instantly regretting his decision when another wave of pain and nausea swept over him. His arm reached for a conveniently placed trash can that resides next to the white bed, dry heaving painfully.

Tony heard Clint describing the situation to Banner. He had invested a lot of time and worry in the kid. Something just felt special about the teen. Who had he ever seen running towards the danger? Really only crazy idiots like himself. And Banner. And Clint. And Cap. And-okay, maybe he had seen a lot of people run headfirst into danger. But they were all idiots anyway.

 _Geniuses_. He corrected.

But just thinking about the sight he saw when turned back around to the monster made him shiver. The kid just dangled from the creature's mouth. He wasn't panicked, only dazed.

"He almost seemed to accept his surroundings initially. Other than the obvious pain he was in, the kid looked almost relaxed." Clint was telling Banner. Tony mentally added the info to the kid's "folder".

"I'll be right back, I'm going to go see him," the billionaire announced with his usual flare. Clint rolled his eyes before continuing his conversation.

Stark stood before the door and gingerly twisted the doorknob and slipped the door open. The pale teenager was stuffed into the pillows with eyes staring at the ceiling that screamed the get-me-out-here-or-I'll-rip- _you_ -to-shreds look.

"Hey kiddo, how are you feeling?" Tony tried.

Peter's eyes latched onto him. "How are you feeling? Come on, you can do better than that." Tony knew he was bad at this type of conversation, but had to agree, that was horrible.

"Bruce said that you should be moveable in a day or two, but that does not mean you can go find another dog to bite you. I'm confining you to the tower," the billionaire informed with his perfected deadpan tone.

"I have a life to get back to, you- wait," the kid connected the dots. A panicked look flashed across Peter's face. He shoved himself out from the pillows and attempted to reach the door. After the first step, he careened towards a counter, knocking off several vials and equipment. Chemicals, Peter, and the vials of his drawn blood crashed to the tiles.

Tony rushed towards the teen shouting, "Kid!" He gathered him in his arms, careful to avoid the strings and tubes, and dumped him back on the bed. "Bruce! I need your help!" Tony called to the door.

Peter was hyperventilating with a storm of panic and pain warring in his eyes. Tony gripped the kid's wrist and watched his eyes eventually focus. Bruce came flying into the room with a worried look lingering in his eyes. He rushed to check all of the vitals before adding more medicine to a stressed IV. The teenager's breath calmed down into a slightly rushed wheeze. "I didn't know it was that bad," he muttered, and Bruce scoffed.

"Kid why did you do that?"

"Um, my aunt is going to kill me. I told her I'd be home by nine."

"Does she not know that you got hurt?" Tony asked.

"No, she doesn't need anymore stress." Peter paused for a second. "What time is it?"

"Uh...11:30," Tony admitted.

"What!?" Peter shrieked, holding his head in his hands. "She's definitely gonna kill me." He looked up suddenly, a determined look on his face that morphed into a grimace. "I have to go home."

"No." Tony opened his mouth to speak, but was beaten by Banner. "Kid, you can't move." The scientist pointed out.

"Tell you what," Tony announced, seeing that Peter was not about to drop the argument. "I'll go over to your place, and tell your aunt that you are ok, but you were injured by a car the dog monster flipped over so you're recovering at Avengers Tower. That way she knows where you are and you don't have to move."

Peter thought for a moment. "Alright, I guess." He gave Tony an address and the billionaire saluted him before leaving Banner to take care of him. Iron Man had a job to do.

So here is the next update as promised, and I am so thankful for all of the favorites, follows, and/or reviews!(Thanks to Quartermoon0671, MooNight-Winter,am excited to see what you guys think of the chapters to come, and I hope you liked chapter three!

~Kenobi1


	4. Chapter 4) Parker Problems

Tony decided to take his one of his sports cars instead of the suit because he didn't want to freak Peter's aunt out too much. Despite this, he was still breaking multiple speed limits on his trip to her house. Several cars honked along the way, accompanied by frustrated shouts from the passengers. JARVIS guided him along a route to the woman's house, and the farther Tony got, the more downgraded the houses became. He frowned at the thought of Peter living in these kinds of houses. After a half an hour of speeding, the billionaire slowed to a stop in front of a crumbling house with a few attempted renovations scattered throughout the two story building. This made him frown.

Tony still made his way to the door to ring the doorbell for once in his lifetime. A tall woman with wavy brown hair opened the door. Her looks outmatched the home by far in his opinion.

"Hello, Mrs. Parker. I'm sure you know who I am. I have news on your nephew-" He was immediately cut off by her exclamation.

"What?! Is he okay? I swear if he wasn't, I would-" She cut herself off, too. "Come and sit down, please. Would you like some coffee?"

Tony followed her into her living room, shaking his head in denial for the offer. He sat down next to her and began his alibi. "Did you hear about the wolffish creatures?"

She visibly paled. "Oh crap." It was all that she managed to mutter out as she sank into the old cushion in horror.

Tony internally panicked, yet again reminding himself that he wasn't very good at these kinds of things. "May-can I call you May? Peter's doing fine. He was at the Stark Expo where one of those creatures attacked. Your nephew was being very brave. He tried to distract it from other people. The creature bit him, but he is recovering nicely at Avenger's Tower and won't be able to come home for a few days. Like I said, Peter is fine and recovery very quickly."

"Recovering? Thank goodness! I thought he got mugged or something along those lines. I was about to call the police!" May breathed in response.

"Well if it's okay with you, we'll send him home in a few days. Is there anyway he could get his homework early?" Tony suggested, but if he was honest with himself, he had no clue what teenagers did.

May stood up and headed for the door. "What are you doing?" the billionaire asked dumbly.

"I'm going to see Peter," the determination in May's voice scared him.

"I don't think that's a good idea. He is probably asleep again, but we can have him call you when he wakes up again."

Peter's Aunt eyed him threateningly. "If I don't get a call within the next twenty-four hours, I will personally see my nephew home, and you will wish you never met him," she growled. Tony nodded and made his way towards May and the door, hiding the terrified look that would certainly have been displayed on his face. A mother's wrath was something he had only heard about and something he never wished to experience.

May eyed him after her goodbye, and Tony tried not to walk too quickly to his car.

After a few days, Tony decided he had nothing better to do and his unusual worry for the teenage didn't hurt. He entered the hospital room only to see Peter on his phone squinting at text on the small screen.

"Peter?"

"Oh, uh, hi Mr. Stark," the teen replied.

"For the last time, call me Tony, kid." He gave a small laugh. "I figured that you were bored so I came to keep you company. That's what people typically do right?"

Peter returned a smile, "Typically."

The billionaire struggled to find a starter for a conversation, "So..." he let the word trail off. "What are you reading about?"

Peter's smile evolved into a grin. "Bruce gave me a link to several biochemical research papers that his coworkers were a part of. I told him that I enjoyed science."

Tony smirked, "Well it looks like I'll have to take you on a tour with me once you can walk. I could even show you Bruce's lab. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Actually, he might but, you know." Peter's eyes widened comically with eagerness.

"I'd be glad to, Mr. Sta-I mean Tony!" the words tumbled out of the bubbling teen's lips.

"So which fields do you like?" Tony continued.

"Um, biochemistry, like I said earlier, physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, several types of engineering including mechanical, electrical, chemical engineering, volcanology... I should probably stop there," the billionaire laughed as Peter blushed.

"It's fine, kid. I know the feeling."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Peter didn't seem to mind. Tony had an idea. He felt like he needed to keep an eye on Peter in an almost fatherly way. He connected to the teen quickly, and he felt like this wouldn't be the only time Peter would get hurt trying to help someone else.

"Peter, would you like help out in the lab sometimes? Or save my life with coffee runs? Since Pepper became the CEO, I haven't had a personal intern, and I didn't replace her job afterwards. I could even pay you some."

Peter gaped. "I'd-I'd love to!" He beamed in response to Tony's growing smile. The billionaire's phone buzzed, and he looked down at the screen.

"Alright, kiddo. You talk to your aunt about it. I've got to go handle something quickly," Tony strangely felt like ruffling Peter's hair.

Spider-Man launched through the streets in full panic mode. Mid-Town high came into view after another crisp _thwip!_ He practically crash landed in a nearby alley before straightening himself and peeling his webbed backpack from the brick wall. The superhero changed into a simple green shirt and grey jeans in record-breaking time.

Peter sprinted from the shadows and up the steps of the school. As he neared his locker, he skidded to a stop and technically speed dialed the combination. His history textbook left despite gravity's protest. A little superpower didn't help, he told himself. He muttered each classroom number as he passed them. He hit 118 and tugged at the door knob. Peter performed a few narrow turns at high speeds, landing him in his seat. The teenager frowned and looked at the clock. "Has the bell rung yet?"

The other kid snorted, "For once, it hasn't."

The teacher stood up and approached the board in sync with the high fifth period bell. Peter tuned him out even before he started his lecture. The brunette's mind wandered over to the creature he had just attempted to deal with, only this time, it resembled a giant bird-like concoction. Peter almost missed class (this time) because he got pinned down by the creature and his midsection didn't appreciate it. Tony had released him from the tower four days ago, so Peter assumed he wouldn't die if he went on a patrol. Unfortunately, said patrol took place of his lunch. _But I made it._

Most of the class went by normally except for another student pointing out blooding lazily oozing from a small cut on his forehead. Peter quickly threw in the 'I slipped' lie and got up to wipe the blood stream off.

Study hall passed a bit too quickly, but Trigonometry was only decently slow that afternoon.

The teen speed-walked from the school, giving a tiny cheer once he hit the cool New York air. Spider-Man soon replaced Peter, and the hero soared above the city, purely enjoying the air once again.

Tony was siting with Cap, Nat, Clint, and Wanda in the 'commons' as they called it. It was the team's main living room and currently the mainly occupied room as well. Bruce was hidden in another nearby room in the process of making his green tea.

The main news station built in a background noise the half disguised Wanda and Natasha's quiet conversation. Meanwhile Clint, Tony, and Steve dueling it out in an intense game of phase ten that continued to rise in volume. Bruce found his way back to the chair that he had previously occupied. It faced the TV directly so a soft glow blanketed the chair like moonlight. The news reporter was rambling on about the latest information on a new creature spotted in a forest somewhere throughout the city. As he sunk into the chair, Bruce sighed.

Clint's triumphant cheer drowned out the elevator's ding, but that didn't stop Steve and Tony from noticing The teenager that stepped out.

"Peter!" Tony called. "Why don't you come meet the others?" Peter only stared at them with a blank expression.

"Don't worry, Son. We don't bite," Cap assured warmly.

Clint snickered, "At least he doesn't." Natasha glared daggers at Clint.

"Uh, hi," the boy managed at last. "I'm-Peter."

"Well Peter, I've heard several good things about you," the captain responded.

"The kid's got some smarts, too. He has nothing on me, but he's up there," the billionaire commented causing Peter to blush.

"I really don't think-"

"Nope! Don't deny it, Kiddo," Tony insisted before practically dragging Peter towards the amused Rogers. "By the way, this is Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, but you should know that already."

Peter shook the man's extended hand and smiled sheepishly to the taller man. Steve smiled in return and said, "Heck of a grip you got there, Peter."

Another man waved from beside the table that supported several strewn cards. "We've already met, but Clint, Spy, Hawkeye. Pretty much all you need to know."

Natasha choked on nothing, while Tony smirked, "Not everything, birdbrain. Don't be surprised if you find yourself hanging from the ceiling by yarn, Kid." Clint began to protest but cut himself off with a nod of agreement.

"I'm Wanda," the woman introduced. "I'm not sure where Vision is, but I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Probably in the kitchen. He's a red android with a golden cape." Peter shook her outstretched hand.

The other spy in the room just nodded to the teenager and simply said, "Natasha."

"Well Kid, I don't really have anything for you to do. You could join in phase ten with us," Tony suggested.

"Um, sure. That's would be fun," the teenager answered as he settled into a chair next to Steve, doing his best not to smile too much.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters**

 **Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **~Kenobi1**


	5. Chapter 5) The Mastermind

Doctor Strange drifted over the maroon soil of the Ularian Dimension that was littered with pockets of purple magic. Another sorcerer approached, one that he had met with earlier in astral form to discuss the new appearance of dark magic.

"Back again so soon?" the other man called.

"Yes and I presume you have no new information, correct?" he answered.

"Correct." The man reached out a hand, and the Sorcerer Supreme shook it after gracefully landing on the soil. "Although, out in the Deep Regions, we believe there may have been another explosion."

He frowned, "Is it like the other ones?"

"No, this one appeared to be much bigger in scale. Normally the explosions are just registering as violet dark magic, but this one looked to have some warm yellow shaded magic in it. We don't even know what kind of magic the yellow is, and we can't be completely sure on any of these things because again, it was in the Deep Regions. Not many people live there. No witnesses, no deaths, thankfully."

Doctor Strange nodded and turned to look into the distance. "Could we bring a team of sorcerers to check it out?"

The man smiled, "Of course, Doctor. We already have a team of our strongest preparing."

"And you wouldn't mind if I joined?"

"Not at all."

With this, Strange and the sorcerer turned towards a setting star and blurry landscape. It only took a few minutes to travel to the alien city. The streets were practically empty, and the only people out were anxious and unnerved. This dimension was in fear's grip.

The other sorcerer lead him into a maroon building shining with several different lights. Noise echoed out over the street. About fifteen sorcerers garbed in green, red, orange, and brown scrambled over each other, equipping themselves with different artifacts and magical weapons.

"Bregorai!" One of them called to catch the sorcerer that lead him's attention. An artifact soared over the heads of the others before landing in Bregorai's grip. It was a small chain that hung loosely in the sorcerer's hand.

Doctor Strange stood quietly by the door, already prepared for what could happen. I have to be. He though ominously as he watched a younger sorcerer dodge past the taller people in the room. After a few minutes, a woman clad in deep crimson robes announced their departure.

The sorcerers filed out of the room slowly, while Stephen only observed. He was quickly pulled away from his spot by the door by Bregorai. Out on the street, the magicians lined up in some sort of a block with the most experienced in the very front and the less experienced in the back. Strange was leading.

A man with a shriveled grey beard stood by him, dull in contrast to Doctor Strange's vibrant robes. He gave a small, grim smile and a nod with the words, "Pleasure to meet the Great Doctor Strange. Our world has heard many stories of your adventures after the passing of the Ancient One. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"She was a wonderful woman," Strange assured with a twinge of ever-fresh grief.

Soon the Ularian city was left behind. Even the purple splotches in the soil disappeared into the horizon. The splotches were replaced by an overall purple tinge in the soil creating an enchantingly haunting look. "We've been getting odd creatures here too, only in the Deep Regions, but they occasionally wander into the city areas," the wizened man next to him commented.

"I haven't been back in my dimension much, but I think Wong may have mentioned something like that. I'll have to ask him about it later," the Sorcerer Supreme replied. "Any other abnormalities?"

"Several. I'll explain them later. Just a warning though, these creatures are much stronger and faster than they should be. Most likely because of magic," the bearded man said.

"Good to know."

"Definitely."

Silence stretched. They came to a relatively flat stretch of land that was now completely bleeding with purple dark magic. It oozed from cracks in the ground and the rocks. A large pool of magic gurgled farther out.

"That must be where the explosion happened, right?" Doctor Strange asked.

"I believe so, yes," the older man responded.

The Sorcerer Supreme crouched down to the ground and ran his hand along the surface of a nearby purple puddle. It moved along with his hand and trickled back down to the ground in shimmering symbols when he tried to pick it up. It also stuck to the touch.

"So far, it behaves like normal dark magic," Stephen announced. A couple of the other sorcerers glanced at him in acknowledgment.

For a while nobody said anything except for the occasional note about the surrounding area. "I think these creatures are similar to Earth's just overly evolved," a young woman said.

Stephen frowned, "Interesting. And you said they were potentially magically strengthened?"

"Yeah, we've seen creatures that look like what you call cats, lizards, snakes, birds, and wolves," she answered.

"How many of them have you all encountered?" he asked.

"Over twenty in the passed two weeks," said another sorcerer.

"Twenty?" His frown deepened. "Where were they-" Doctor Strange cut himself off, rising from the ground slowly and cautiously and rustling his already fluttering cloak.

He didn't get a chance to say anything before a purple spear sank into a nearby sorcerer's foot. The wounded man sank to the ground with what must have been blinding pain. He screamed. More pain than a normal wound then. The skin around the spear began to sizzle and bubble.

Stephen launched towards the man. He slid to a stop, kneeling in front of the sorcerer, before throwing his arms up to create a glittering shield over the two of them. Strange was almost too slow for several more purple daggers crashed against the shield and dispersed in a shower of sparks.

The man curled beside him looked up gratefully with glazed eyes. Stephen murmured a quiet "I'm sorry" before extracting the purple spear from his foot with one hand, the other still occupied with the upkeep of the shield. Purple burn marks drew in his skin. The downed man yelled out before breathing in desperate gasps.

"Just breathe. I'll take care of this," he assured the other sorcerer. He got a grunt in response.

Several other sorcerers were struggling in the heat of battle with several of the mutated creatures. He only concentrated on keeping the shield up as a mangled creature with twisted teeth threw itself against his magic. Brown fur with a few purple shades added crumpled over the magic. It held, but it put strain on him so he constructed a plan.

"Let me know when you feel ready to get back into the fight," Stephen told the sorcerer. "I'll count to three and you run in the opposite direction of this creature, got it?"

"Yeah." The response was pained.

The man only waited about a minute before testing out his balance and telling the Sorcerer Supreme he was ready. Strange counted off and crouched in a lounge. As soon as he hit zero, the shield dissipated, and the creature's glowing purple eyes dilated before it pounced towards the wounded man. Doctor Strange created a long red blade that intercepted the monster's path. The blade delved into its furry shoulder, and it collapsed sideways once the nerves registered the pain.

The Sorcerer Supreme switched his blade out for a whip which snapped and burned a creature's abnormally muscled back legs. The nearest sorcerer stabbed it with her artifact. He pivoted and slashed at a falling purple dagger that was coming too close to his head.

A screamed echoed over the chaos as the young sorcerer Stephen saw earlier in the city touched a fatal wound with terror. His heart sunk.

It hurt, but he couldn't stop to help. Two separate creatures ran at him from opposite sides, one gliding with ruffled grey wings, another slithering against the Ularian soil leaving a glittering purple trail. His free hand shoved a wall of newly generated magic towards the one that resembled a bird on his left, instantly killing it, while the whip in his right hand came up to defend himself. It collided with the lone surviving creature's overly long head, and it hissed. "Sorry, better luck next time," he muttered before plunging a purple dagger the he caught from the air into the snake-like creature, adding the smell of his burning flesh to the air.

Doctor Strange ran towards the next opponent and quickly dispatched it as well. He stopped near a collapsed sorcerer that lay face down on the now-purple soil. The woman's wrist was already cold. No! Stephen desperately glanced around. Four others lay unmoving on the ground and a fifth was propped up against a nearby jagged rock.

Doctor Strange sent a blast of pure magic hurtling towards a snake-like creature that was about to sink its fangs into an unaware magician. It slumped like its kin had, sending a splash of liquid dark magic flying from the puddle it landed in. Another cry of pain rang through the chaos of battle. It was his own.

Strange glanced at the gash in his shoulder. A purple blade had caused it while he was distracted. Blood began to bubble from the wound and soaked into the robes on his shoulder. A purple ooze followed it. He grimaced, but he gave it a test shrug as he picked himself off the soil and soared above the fight. His cloak dropped him, and he landed hard on top of a bird-like creature. It caved beneath his weight, and he leaped off before he was unbalanced.

Stephen's landing sent a jolt of pain down his arm and through his already trembling fingers. It was starting to turn numb. Another man fell nearby him. He had a stab wound in the lower stomach. The Sorcerer Supreme slashed at the other magician's attacker and downed the creature swiftly. He turned his attention to the wounded man after creating a shield around them. "Go back and find the other sorcerers and anyone else who can fight. Tell them to come here, but you must get medical care. Please." Stephen began to clean off the dark magic around the man's wound and tied off the piece of cloth that he had been using to cut off the blood flow. He opened a small portal back to the city within his glimmering shield. Stephen anxiously watched the man limp off.

He closed the portal quickly, attempting to shrug his numb shoulder again, even though he couldn't, and lowered his shield. With a deep breath, he threw a spell high above the battle and it spread like storm clouds. A few purple daggers pierced the spell, but most were destroyed on impact. Strange paled. He knew it was a hard spell to maintain, but only about half the magicians were left standing and there was no end in sight in the battle. That was also the moment another enemy, a more human one, entered his game of chess. A woman, who busy dealing with a wolf-creature, was impaled from behind by the man. Doctor Strange yelled in denial, charging towards the magician's twitching body. The man smile and said, "Hello! I'm the Mastermind. Nice to meet you." The female's prone body fell to the ground.

Stephen could no longer pay attention to him because he was slammed forward into the ground. Something crunched inside, most likely his ribs. He groaned and rolled to the side while forming a portal to the middle of the pond. The Sorcerer Supreme got lucky. It was a cat-creature. Forward momentum sent its majestically cruel grace tumbling head-first into the pool of dark magic. The purple magic stuck to its orange and purple fur, and it struggled uselessly to escape. A purple dagger dug into his forehead, while he was distracted, creating a shallow, unhappy wound. Blood dropped into his eyes, and he wiped it off as he stood up. He couldn't focus his thoughts anymore. But he continued. More sorcerers were down, and no one had come back to help yet.

Strange attacked a cat-like creature and a lizard once he turned to cover his own blind spot. He made it out with only a few oozing purple claw marks. He just didn't specify their severity to himself. The wizened sorcerer that he met earlier was currently dueling the Mastermind. And he was not coming out on top. Doctor Strange sprinted towards him but was cut off midway by another few creatures. Stephen dealt with their flashing fangs and slashing claws as fast as he could, but the aged sorcerer's painful yell defeated him.

The Sorcerer Supreme was getting desperate. He sliced into a wolf-creature with a handheld shield before sprinting towards the Mastermind and his new opponent: an inexperienced Sorcerer. Again he was interrupted by another opponent, but no creature could hold him back now. Doctor Strange closed the gap between the intense duel and himself. The Mastermind was about to slit the other sorcerer's throat when Stephen formed a whip and pulled the blade off course. There was no other place he could divert the weapon, so it slowed to a fleshy stop in the skin to the left of his heart, strangely reminding him of him fight with Kaecillius.

The pain was excruciating and freezing. Strange felt himself make a portal and sluggishly push the magician through it, but his ability to focus was completely overridden. With a couple uneven, feeble breaths, Doctor Strange fell to his knees in the soil, his cloak only drifted down with him. His eyes drooped, but his head was roughly tilted towards the Mastermind's moving lips by a curt hand and then towards the bloody battlegrounds. No one was left alive. Stephen's mouth bubbled with blood-his blood- and his head lolled forward onto chest.

 **Ah! This is one of my favorite chapters, but I don't know about you. Let me know what you think, and thank you for reading! This chapter came out late because I was busy on Sunday and Monday, but this shouldn't happen again. I don't own Marvel. Thanks again!**

 **~Kenobi1**


	6. Chapter 6) Secrets are hard to keep

Spider-Man ran out into the middle of the street, illuminated by an oncoming car. Confusion and mild panic were written on his hidden features. The speeding car attempted to slam to a stop, but the web-slinger just jumped and lightly sprinted over its roof. He repeated this process with several other cars behind the previous one, but he was still falling behind. Peter's goal was to catch the man he had seen earlier that month, for the same man was snooping around the same building. The guy started some light show, and that was when Spider-Man decided to step in.

Now he was in a more dangerous version of tag.

Peter almost lost the man's trail, but a beam of purple light with strange symbols erupted in the middle of the street farther back. And now he was sprinting at full force. Once he arrived at the site, the man smiled creepily at him. Or at least, he thought it was creepy.

"You should sign up for that horror movie coming out in... is it November?" Spidey quipped.

"Should I? I think I could make it," the guy said. "I should make my own role: 'The Mastermind'. What do you think?"

"Sounds great, now you and your little prison buddies will have a properly cliché villain!" Peter answered and swung towards the newly dubbed 'Mastermind'.

The man dodged his first kick easily, his second, on the other hand, successfully landed in the pit of the man's stomach. Before Peter could get in another blow, the Mastermind twisted his hands in a strange pattern and pushed his entwined fingers forward. Another light flew from his fingertips and sent Spider-Man crashing into the wall. Momentum knocked him completely through the wall, and he landed painfully inside the building on the floor with a groan.

Spider-Man pushed himself up and ran out. The Mastermind wasn't in the street anymore, and in his place, words were burned into the sizzling pavement.

 _Your move._

Peter fiddled with his web shooters in Tony's lab. The billionaire himself wasn't currently in the room, so Peter decided to upgrade his web fluid and web shooters with the advanced technology available. It wasn't the first time he had played with the chemicals in that lab either. He had managed to turn his web fluid different colors, extend the dissolving rate to a longer period as well as a shorter one, the stickiness of the substance, the range of the substance, among other things. Oh science. He laughed to himself.

Peter was planning to add gallium to the web formula, but decided against it. He wasn't sure how well it react with the other chemicals in the mixture. Maybe Caesium? That would work nicely if he wanted to create a web fluid explosion in water. It could oxidize too fast though which would cause it-

"Kiddo?" It was Tony. Oh crap it was Tony. Why was he back already?

"Uh hi, Tony," Peter attempted not to squeak. The billionaire had seen what he had been tinkering with, and the only look on his face was shock and horror.

"You're Spi-sp...You're-you're _so young!_ Oh You should be worrying about _school_ and _girlfriends_ and _grades_!" Tony's eyes stared at him with pure anguish. " _Why_?" The raw pain in the man's voice tore at Peter's heart.

"With great power comes great responsibility..." the teenager whispered softly.

Tony shook his head slowly. His head snapped up and he growled, "You are not going out as Spider-Man again."

"What?! You can't do that! What if-" Peter protested.

"No!" Tony yelled. "What if you died?! You are only bloody fifteen!"

"What if a passing man was shot and bled out because nobody did anything?" Peter's words were heated. "Now I my Aunt barely struggles to pay the bills because I let my uncle-" the teen but his tongue hard.

"What?" the horror returned to Tony's soft words.

"Nothing." Peter answered too quickly.

"Peter."

The boy's shoulders sagged making him look vulnerable and weak. "I was bitten by a radioactive spider, but I had an argument with a grocer. A robber robbed the place, and I didn't do anything to help. Later, I saw Uncle Ben bleeding out on the sidewalk. He died in my arms. The man who killed him was the same one I let go. My uncle's last words to me were: with great power comes great responsibility. Those are the words I live by now. And there's no way you could ever stop me from helping keep families together."

The billionaire frowned and closed his eyes. "I'll let you. Under one condition."

Peter sat in a black chair at an empty table in a whitewashed room. Several other chairs were lined along the table labeling the room as a conference room. Tony had dragged him here right after their conversation. He trusted the billionaire, and if this let him continue saving lives, he would do whatever it took.

To his surprise, the rest of the Avengers filed into the room. Clint raised an eyebrow in confusion. Peter shrugged back to him. After Natasha walked in with a knowing look in her eyes, a tall, brooding man with an eyepatch stood in the doorway. He closed it curtly. "Don't worry, Parker. No one will hear of this conversation except for the people in this room," the unknown man said. Tony's eyes burned with emotions.

"And who are you?" the teenager asked cautiously.

"Fury, director of SHIELD."

Peter tried not to show his own shock. "Wait Tony, what is happening?"

"We'd like to ask you to the team as long as Cap and the others are okay with it," the billionaire stated. Peter lost any control over a blank face.

"He's just a teenager. Why would we risk endangering him that much?" Wanda asked.

Tony stared straight into Peter's eyes, "Because he's Spider-Man."

Natasha leaned back with a smirk on her face. Vision was just plainly confused, "Spider... Man?" Wanda whispered something to him and he nodded.

"Wh-what?" Steve stuttered. _He's just a kid._ The words flashed across the hero's face. Peter looked down at his worn shoes. "Tony, this can't be right."

"That's what I thought, too, but it's true," the billionaire replied.

"Well, I agree," the captain said.

"To what?" Clint asked.

"If Peter should continue as Spider-Man, he will need training and support. I agree with him joining the Avengers," Cap's voice was firm.

"And I will back that," Natasha answered.

"So will I. I trust you Peter," Bruce murmured. Soon, a string of approvals were spoken. Everyone was in favor.

Fury half smiled, "Congrats, Kid."

 _Wait, that happened so fast._

"Alright," the teen said at last.

"You're training with me tomorrow morning, Web-Head," Tony said abruptly.

Wong only waited a few days. He couldn't contact the doctor like he normally could. Time passed slower in the other dimension, but Strange still shouldn't have been away so long. Stephen was Sorcerer Supreme, but sometimes he was just a reckless man with a love for danger. So he pulled out the earbud playing Beyoncé and formed a portal with his sling ring that connected with the other dimension. It wasn't there.

The sorcerer left 177A Bleecker Street hastily.

Thanks for reading! I don't own anything! And a thanks to humancreeper for following!


	7. Chapter 7) The Beginning of the End

Tony got a very surprising visit. A very strange visit. He immediately regretted the pun and apologized to himself.

The man's name was Wong, and he looked mildly flustered. He somehow managed to find the billionaire at the perfect moment. Tony took one look at his clothing before rambling off a snarky quip. Typically, he was used to a reaction, but all that this man gave him was a raised eyebrow. "This is no time for games. This could destroy the universe."

Oh so that's what you're here for.

Tony asked with evident boredom, "Who's attacking?"

"The Earth's Sorcerer Supreme cou-" Wong started adamantly.

"The what-now?" Tony interrupted.

"The most powerful Sorcerer in existence. Now if you would so kindly listen, I would explain. The world is protected from several cosmic threats by three sanctums, sorcerers protect the sanctums. Sorcerers wield magic and other dimensional energies to do this."

"So you are basically superhero magicians." Wong sighed, but Tony continued. "And what exactly is a Sorcerer Supreme?"

"Like I said, the most powerful sorcerer in existence."

"And you're coming to us for help?" Steve asked as he walked in carrying a steaming mug.

"What? Steve, have you been listening this whole time?" Tony said with a color of surprise in his voice.

"I was making coffee, and I overheard," the captain said simply before turning to face Wong. "So who are we helping out?"

"Doctor Stephen Strange. Reckless, arrogant with a love for danger and a death wish," Wong deadpanned.

"Sounds a lot like you, Tony," Steve commented.

"Shut it, Grandpa," Tony fired back.

"Strange went to check out a potential threat from another dimension," the sorcerer continued. "A new form of dark magic. He didn't know where it came from or what it could do, so he left for the dimension immediately without much knowledge on the possible threats of this new magic. Reckless like I said. This other dimension he traveled to passes time faster than ours does, and he's been gone for five days. I made a portal to the other dimension, and it was no longer there. Animal mutations began showing up here with traces of that dark magic. I heard that you have already had some experience with them." Tony snorted in response. "An attack on Earth is coming, and we have no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it. It's time we don't leave you out of the battle," Wong ended ominously.

"What do you need us to do?" Steve asked.

"I assume that the attack will begin in the next few days. Be there ready and waiting. I will join when it's time. With any luck, we'll rescue Stephen before then," Wong informed.

"Sure thing, Houdini," Tony quipped. Steve gave Wong an apologetic look.

Tony and Steve stood in front of a window showing the dying sun arguing heatedly.

"Tony, Peter is capable. We've been training him for weeks now. He can even hold his own against Widow, and you can't even do that," Steve defended.

Tony's eyes narrowed, "Peter is just a kid, not a soldier, Steve! He hasn't even finished puberty, and you want to throw into the midst of a battle? Heck it's even something that we have no clue how to handle! Magic? Tell me you understood everything Wong said!"

"Peter has to start sometime because if he doesn't, he'll start to pick his own fights, ones that are too much for him to survive just to prove to you that he is strong enough! I never said that I wanted him to face this alone. We'll be there to protect him," Steve protested.

"But what if we're not," Tony whispered with a soft voice. "What if we can't, Steve."

"Then we will fight armies to get to him," Steve assured. "We need to show Peter that we trust him. Teenagers need to know that."

Tony's eyes darkened, "Yes they do." His words were almost inaudible. He trained his unfocused gaze onto the captain and stared with burning eyes. "Fine, but if I lose sight of him, I will tear through whatever stands in my way."

"So will I, Tony. He's special. He bonded with the team so quickly that I'm sure we all will. Peter will be safe, I promise," Steve said as he pulled Tony into a friendly and comforting hug.

Several days later at the same time of day, the Avengers stood together in the middle of a darkening street. Spider-Man squinted at the sky watching the clouds drift lazily by. Sparks erupted to life before them, and a somewhat short man stepped out. "Hello Wong," Captain America greeted. Wong nodded to him.

Tony had explained the situation to Peter the night before. Magic, danger, the unknown. He was excited. Meanwhile, Wong was explaining to them that a couple of other sorcerers were coming. "Not enough," the sorcerer finished.

"We need to set up a perimeter!" Steve called to an approaching police officer. The man simply pulled out his radio and walked off while chatting into it.

Tony turned his attention to Spider-Man, and Peter instantly knew that this would be the exact same conversation they had had five times before. "Now Peter, I don't want you to be-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Dad," his eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say that. I haven't had a father. Not since-since...Him. Looks like your next, Tony. A voice in Peter's head laughed, meanwhile Spidey himself was still blinking with shock behind his mask. So was Tony.

"What?" Tony murmured holding onto the 'wh' longer than needed.

"N-nothing," Peter stuttered back. They looked at each other for a second, a newfound bond growing in their eyes.

Tony gave him a small, genuine smile, "Keep that spidery butt of yours safe, Webs."

Spider-Man smiled back at the superhero before returning his attention back to the end of the street. Silence hung heavy over their heads building a tense sense of anticipation. Bruce shuffled nervously. He came this time, Wong assured them they would need every last person. They planned to hold him back, but when Peter described his experiences with the magically-enhanced creatures, they decided to start out strong.

Wong stared straight forward, waiting in a somewhat defensive pose. Nothing too intensive, Spider-Man noticed. This changed as a small spark of fire flared to life in the air before dying at their feet. It was followed by its siblings, and soon a fiery circle of sputtering sparks morphed into existence.

Several of the Avengers, Peter included, gaped at the beauty of the magic. Wong, however, deepened his lounge and generated a translucent bow that glowed with a dark green light.

Through the sparks, Spider-Man could see and world or at least what it used to be. Now, it's sky was black, completely void of stars and light. The land mass was jagged and ripped. It even looked like it was bleeding, something that Peter never imagined he would see. Purple symbols oozed from tears in the ground lazily.

A man that Spider-Man recognized as the Mastermind strode from the portal. Wong sent several arrows streaking towards the villain in rapid succession, but they only shattered as the man brought his arm up in front of his face and a shimmering substance faded before him.

Wong upheld his offense, while the rest of the Avengers trickled past him towards the Mastermind. They were stopped short by the appearance of several mutated monsters that morphed into their universe. Whatever portals they used sucked themselves into oblivion leaving nothing but the creature behind.

Spider-Man automatically lunged towards one of them. It had several feline features, and its enlarged body was accompanied by ripping muscles under a tabby coat outlined with glittering purple fur. Brilliant orange eyes trained on him with hunger and excitement.

Spidey blinded it with his webs, hoping to start off on a better foot than he had before. It growled deep in its throat but struck out regardless and missed wildly. Taking advantage of its distraction, he shot another web and launched the creature at a nearby building. Its limp tail was the only thing not hidden in dust from the destroyed wall.

Spider-Man turned towards Captain America's attacker nearby and webbed it as well, bringing it towards the building in the same action as the first. A snake tail vanished in the cloud of smoke as the creature sailed out of sight. Cap gave him a curt salute before turning to the next attacker, or in this case, two.

The young hero was shoved forward after he engaged a wolf-creature. Claws dug into his shoulders from the second creature. He cried out in pain. It shocked him just how much the gashes hurt, but he assumed that this was because of the purple magic flowing from the creature's paws. The threat of the wolf-creature above him preparing to make a final move was thrown away violently. Spider-Man wrenched the other mutated monster off of himself, trying to block out the fiery burn of pain.

Tony had already taken care of the other creature. Its limp body was slumped against a street lamp. Worried, panicked eyes burned into his own once the genius lifted the faceplate. "I'm fine, Tony. The magic does weird things though," Peter assured.

"You sure there, Kid? Please, I swear if you die I will beat your-" Tony threatened before being cut off by a repulsive blast at a nearby mutation.

Shaking his head to clear any dizziness, Spider-Man danced over towards Iron Man's back in between an oversized snake with strange colors and a pair of predatory birds that looked at him viciously hungry. "Down, Tweety!" he joked. Iron Man snorted while simultaneously upper cutting a lizard monster with the full force of technology.

Hulk roared in the distance. A dull crunch then followed making Spider-Man shutter.

He saw Black Widow appear momentarily a few times, sliding through several opponents, downing them all.

Even with so many superheroes to help in the fight, it was the magicians that saved battle. Several times, Peter saw them forming formations of some kind, throwing magic towards the Mastermind who eventually began to struggle to defend himself. The situation was beginning to look hopeful.

Spidey pivoted towards a nearby sorcerer laying wounded on the street. His current opponent was struggling to stand up while another approached the wounded man in a sprint. The hiss of his web-shooters released the web fluid like the gun shot in a marathon. The chords attached to both creatures entwining between the furs of the feline/wolffish pelts. With a sharp tug, both creatures' forward momentum sent them crashing into each other knocking one out and keeping the other down. The sorcerer lying on the ground gazed sluggishly up at him.

"Poison..." He breathed out weakly. Peter attacked the closest monster, registering the soft-spoken word. "You won't last long, Spider...Spider-Man." A cough erupted from the magician's collapsed lungs. Jaws snapped shut above the superhero's shoulder clutching at the empty air. Spider-Man uppercutted its fangs, pushing the rows of teeth painfully beyond its flexibility. It released a shallow whimper as Spider-Man kicked its abdomen with most of his force, not pulling his punches for once.

The wounded man reached towards the vigilante as he webbed his fallen opponent to the street. Concern showed past his mask as he saw the extent of the sorcerer's wound. He grimaced as the man finished another bout of coughing, ending it with a struggling gesture for the spider to come closer. "I can try to slow the poison's spread through your body."

"But the energy it must take to do that sort-" Spider-Man protested.

"I'll only fall unconscious. There isn't a load of good I can do for this fight," he assured. Satisfied, Peter nodded and watched as the man raised trembling hands in intricate patterns before small trails of red symbols twisted towards his shoulders. A strange burning sensation bubbled across his skin before falling away. The wounded man's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his eyes closed. Peter gently picked the man up and made his way carefully and stealthily towards a police man.

"Get this man to safety, please sir," Spider-Man said. The other man nodded without hesitation and took the teenager's load away, freeing him to fight another creature prowling the streets.

The battle lasted for too long. Spider-Man was beginning to feel overly exhausted, blaming it on the slowed poison in his system. Wanda had already fallen from its alluring effects. She was peacefully resting in the safety outside of the battle zone. Several of the sorcerers teamed up against the mutated monsters, taking them down at a consistent rate despite the loss of numbers.

This allowed the Mastermind to throw his hands in the air giving off a very commanding body language. Violet energy was sucked from the cracks in the street, twisting towards the sky, swirling in waving arches like kelp in a current. The atmosphere seemed to shimmer as the material magic engaged it. Soon it began to crumble back towards the superheroes on the street. Earth's barriers had been ripped to pieces.

The Mastermind's laughter reverberated through the New York Streets as the clouds disintegrated and rained down in ashy flakes. "You know, these cosmic beings are all the same. They're all drawn to Earth like moths to a flame. They can't help it, and it is so fun to watch them bicker over this rock of dust. Though I must apologize. They typically don't play nice," giggles followed his last sentence. "Oh," he sighed. "Your faces every time! Priceless! You should've seen your Sorcerer Supreme's face as I crushed his puny little defense force. He looked so broken and vulnerable! It was so funny!"

Wong's blank expression gained a tint of horror, but he stepped forward regardless, "Why could you th-"

The Mastermind grinned and interrupted the experienced sorcerer. "Oh I was getting to that part, you see. This is why you don't interrupt villainous monologuing! Anyway, I can dissolve your shields without effort or acknowledgement. And that's exactly what I did, right? Strange never had a clue, and neither did you all! Except your spider. He almost caught me in his web, but even his observant nature didn't succeed," a screen of purple tinged gas hid the Mastermind from view after these words. Tony started forward but even he stopped in shock when the cloud dissipated.

 **Sorry if some of these chapters seem to be cut off at weird times, but that is because, well, they are. I wrote this story in one continuous format instead of chapters, so I apologize. A quick thanks goes out to victoria for reviewing! It means a lot to me! Hope you enjoyed and I will be out with the next part in a week!**

 **~Kenobi1**


	8. Chapter 8) Earth Be My Battleground

_The Mastermind grinned and interrupted the experienced sorcerer. "Oh I was getting to that part, you see. This is why you don't interrupt villainous monologuing! Anyway, I can dissolve your shields without effort or your acknowledgement. And that's exactly what I did, right? Strange never had a clue, and neither did you all! Except your spider. He almost caught me in his web, but even his observant nature didn't succeed," a screen of purple tinged gas hid the Mastermind from view after these words. Tony started forward, but even he stopped in shock when the cloud dissipated._

Doctor Stephen Strange was in pain. That much was obvious. Several spells blanketed his wounds like bandaids to keep the man from bleeding out, but this didn't stop the countless other gashes from dripping blood to the gravelly street and covering his tunic in a deep coopery syrup. Doctor Strange's face was slick with sticky, drying blood along with several fresh trails of crimson gore. He had a clear black eye that made both of his swollen eyes look sunken and dead. A red circle around his waist was covered in a spell, but it was still seeping blood into the soaked robes. The Sorcerer Supreme hung limply from the air above the Mastermind's upraised hand.

Wong's face paled visibly, but no one noticed in the heat of the moment for they were all preoccupied studying the dying man's bloody form in an appalled silence. "Hand him over to us," Captain America growled.

"Oh but that would ruin the fun, wouldn't it?" the psychotic man replied.

"You've threatened our planet. This is no longer fun," Iron Man announced.

The Mastermind laughed, meanwhile the temporary ebb in the number of magical monsters relaxed, sending more of the otherworldly portals stretching wide and more creatures came bounding out. The Avengers all stood in defensive posses, while Wong threw himself towards the Mastermind before sliding beneath the other man's feet and throwing a spell from behind the man. It hit him before he formed a counter-spell, and he stumbled backwards with a new, clean cut over his collar bone. This did nothing to distract the Mastermind's attention, who was still levitating the injured Sorcerer Supreme above his hand. Wong stood up from the ground and began another offensive attack.

That was when Spider-Man decided he could handle magic.

The teenager simply ran up behind the villain as Wong was striking with an orange glowing whip. His foot swiped forward which effectively knocked the Mastermind off balance. Spider-Man webbed Doctor Strange and pulled him into a ginger hug before running away from the sorcerers' duel rather hastily to get the dying man to safety.

Once he was far enough away, he gently laid the man down on the sidewalk before turning to roundhouse kick an approaching snake-like creature's hissing face. Spider-Man then learned the hard way that at least the snakes could cut through his webbing and through him. It earned him a deep, painful gash into the muscle on his left shoulder.

Peter cried out in pain, remembering the words of the unconscious sorcerer from earlier about the poison and the pain.

While he was distracted, the creature slipped past him and attempted to slit Strange's throa. It was cut short, literally. Iron Man, hearing Peter's pain-filled gasp over the noise of the battle, instantly appeared at the scene and shot a repulser beam straight into the creature's slimy purple scales. It slumped to the ground after Iron Man kneeled by the teenager.

"I'm fine. Help him!" Peter half-barked from the pain, pointing towards the sorcerer.

Iron Man nodded at repositioned himself by the Sorcerer Supreme. Spider-Man stood up and lashed out at the nearest mutated monster. As he did so, a spectacular bolt of winding lightning stretched from the clouds signifying Thor's arrival. The sky was churning with horrifying cloud patterns, letting the world know that it was being fought over once again.

Meanwhile Iron Man hastily inspected the wounds of the dying man. Doctor Strange's face was completely void of color because of the blood loss from the severe wounds. Any spells that kept the lethal ones from oozing had been broken and so the man was lying on the street bleeding out in the midst of battle. Tony tore some of the pieces of cloth from the blue tones of the sorcerer's tunic and began to tie off wounds. One gash in particular drew his attention. It was a gushing stab wound in the stomach. While he was no doctor, the billionaire knew that the blood flow wouldn't stop from a simple cloth. He murmured an apology to the man before raising his right gauntlet to cauterize the wound.

A focused beam shot from the armor and burnt into the wound. Tony knew the pain must have been beyond excruciating.

It was so bad that Doctor Strange's eyes snapped open, and he screamed in ghastly pain.

Spider-Man winced at the scream that shattered through the fight. He instinctively knew it was Doctor Strange's. Peter awarded a quick glance back at the man and saw him gasping shallow breaths with tears streaming down his cheeks. Spider-Man's eyes traveled over the battlegrounds once he finished his enemy. Wong had the Mastermind pinned on the ground, and the flow of mutated creatures was thinning out. They were winning.

After countless opponents, creatures, and monsters, the Avengers finally defeated the dark magically enhanced mutations. The Mastermind laughed hysterically as he was thrown to the ground by an enraged Thor.

"Oh, you all think you've won!" his laughing intensified. "Just look at your faces when you realize, it's not over! Oh a cosmic being will win, and this time, there will be no bargain!"

Doctor Strange's eyes darkened even though he wasn't entirely focused on the world at the present. Wong built up his emotionless mask and shoved the villain roughly through a generated portal and watched him trip into the desolate world.

Once the street had calmed down, the Avengers and sorcerers gathered the wound together next to the doctor and laid the dead together gently. Several paramedics began to rush to the scene and envelope the hurt. Wong traveled to many of them and reversed the dark magic's poison before visiting his friend. A twinge of sorrow broke past his mask. This man tried so hard to protect the world, to live another day, and yet here he was, surrounded by half a dozen paramedics bleeding too much.

"Strange," he murmured drawing the half-conscious man's attention. "Why didn't you ask for help?"

"Time," the Sorcerer Supreme chuckled. "It's so relative."

Wong frowned, "Stephen this isn't over yet. I'm so sorry." He asked the paramedics to leave quietly. They looked shocked and flustered before nodding and clearing to help others. That left room for Wong to crouch down next to his friend and lay a hand over the man's struggling heart. It's almost frantic pace slowed to a steady, somewhat calm beat as a blue stream of symbols seeped into Strange's body. The wounded man released his breath as some of the pain dissipated.

Doctor Strange raised his weak arm, struggling just to keep it in the air. Wong's free hand met Stephen's trembling fingers and the blue magic connected between the two men. This soon cleared the Sorcerer Supreme's vision for his eyes tuned to Wong's.

"These last few scraps could be a problem," the surgeon commented as he attempted to stand with Wong's aid.

Wong scoffed under his breath, "Only you would call incisions from shoulder to hip, impalements, broken bones, and deep wounds scratches. And you call yourself a surgeon."

Strange was leaning heavily on Wong for support, especially from the midsection where Iron Man had cauterize the wound, but at least he could stand. They made their way towards Spider-Man before Doctor Strange said, "I heard that your web fluid works well as a giant bandaid."

"I works well enough. Nice to meet the whimsical Doctor Strange at last, even if you are only half with us," Spider-Man replied.

Stephen snorted before following it up with, "I don't want to hear it, Spider. Your bleeding from both shoulders, and that wound doesn't appear to be on the best terms with you. Would you cover my wounds before I pass out for a second time today? While your at it, you should look after those shoulders."

Peter grinned, "Says the man swaying from blood loss." He webbed the wounds, cutting the ebb of blood flow off from a few wounds even though several still bled through. It was a little progress at least.

Wong lead Stephen towards the front of where the battle had begun. He sat down heavily, attempting to keep the vertigo at bay. Again, Doctor Strange's shivering fingers formed quivering, familiar formations. Magic sparked to life in the air before them. He was in no condition to fight, but the least he could do was help the Avengers, he decided. Green magic twirled in between his fingers, winding and spinning like ribbon. It spiraled over the street after it enlarged then twisting in between several of the heroes, especially Strange himself, wrapping over several wounds and gashes and hiding them from view. Wong's grip on the Sorcerer Supreme's shoulder tightened as he transferred some of his magical energy to the paling man. The energy covering wounds of many types dissipated, leaving several clean, closed wounds and some scanning wounds. None of them were completely healed, but it was the best Stephen could do at the moment. Several of his wounds weren't healed as far as the others, but he was okay with this; he wouldn't be the one to fight in the near future.

If he had been standing, his legs would have given out. Any other sorcerer would have lost consciousness from a spell of that magnitude, but it still took a lot out of him. Stephen sagged into Wong's hand and started to calm his breathing. Now he could only watch and wait as a cosmic being triumphed and came to take the unwilling prize.

 **Hello, again! Thank you to anyone still sticking with me! We have about three chapters to go, and that is kind of sad, but we will see where this goes! I want to give a quick thanks to victoria for reviewing again! It cheered me up so much! Thanks to MrNoobishDude and Deranged Pegasus for favoriting/following! It means a lot! Next chapter should be on time as well! Please continue to review if you have because it lights up my day! Hope you enjoyed!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

 **~Kenobi1**


	9. Chapter 9) Cosmic Chaos

Peter watched as Thor crash landed, cleaving a deep crater in the street. The sky had darkened to a deep grey, churning and twisting violently. It threw a scoping Thor out of the air, and soon he was hurtling towards to ground at dangerous speeds. His impact emitted a jolt of pure electricity through the street, sending several more spiraling crevices across the bloodied street.

Thor stood up after a moment's hesitation with a lopsided grin on his face. "The man from the skies thinks he can throw the god of thunder to the Earth?!" With a hearty chuckle, the Asgardian launched off the gravel back in the direction of the clouds.

This time, something half resembling a blue humanoid hand formed from the cloud cover. It stretched towards the approaching blonde and passed through him anticlimactically. But it continued towards the street, and that was when Wong and Doctor Strange's expressions darkened. Wong muttered something to his fellow sorcerer and received a nod.

Wong called over Captain America and exchanged a few short words before the superhero nodded as well. The world war hero bent down and helped Stephen over his shoulder, and together, the two of them began retreating into an alleyway nearby. Meanwhile Wong started an elaborate spell quickly and quietly.

Peter soon understood why. The gaseous hand was reaching for the Sorcerer Supreme and Captain America. Spider-Man darted forward, shooting a web at the hand. It passed into the gas but failed to travel through the other side. He released the web, instead shooting another at a nearby building so he could swing towards the injured doctor and the American superhero.

Steve turned to register the gas approaching while brining up his shield in an attempt to block the form. The World War II hero knew it wouldn't do much, but at least he tried, the veteran told himself.

Spider-Man watched as the captain braced the sorcerer and himself. Now was the moment to act. In a blur of motion, he landed in front of the Sorcerer Supreme and kicked out toward the gas. It instantlyclasped onto his foot and threw him off balance. His impact on the brick wall beside him left nothing to be desired before he was dragged back towards the street again. Peter caught a glimpse of Steve's face. It was shining with sweat and glimmering with worry.

"Peter!" the captain shouted desperately, catching Iron Man's attention, too.

Doctor Strange grimaced before adding on to the protests, "Stop! Please! It's not him you're after."

Spider-Man registered the fact that hurtling towards the opposite wall too quickly. He attempted to catch his momentum with a web, but it was torn away by the dark blue gas propelling him. He collided with the wall and let out a strangled groan. Something internal cracked sending jolts of pain scuttling down his spine. The gas didn't let him reach the ground though, so he was left to dangle from an unseen grip. The pain continued to radiate from the base of his back sickeningly. It hit a high and the nausea overrode his mind sending him tumbling headfirst into unconsciousness.

Once he regained his senses, he was several feet higher than he previously was, and a second arm was stretching from the sky. It was slightly darker than its predecessor with a hint of purple and pink shades seeping into it.

The second arm, too, was carrying someone. They were thrown back to the Earth violently before Peter could recognize who it was. As they landed, another Avenger rushed to help them up. Another two people were clustered off to the side in the shadows.

Then the teen's eyes focused.

Iron Man's crumpled suit was the object laying in one of the street's craters. Peter's heart jumped at the sight. Steve was kneeling next to him struggling to pull the dented mask off. Finally it popped off and clattered, forgotten, on the gravel. From the view Peter had, Tony looked pale and ghastly. It was difficult to tell from his current height, but Steve seemed to deem it safe to lift the iron superhero from his cement cavity.

The arm lashed back towards the surface, evading Steve's whirling shield and Natasha's electric pulses. Peter realized that Natasha was presently the one supporting Doctor Strange. Meanwhile, Clint was further down the alleyway guarding Wong as he finished constructing a spell.

The gaseous hand slammed into Clint then pinned Wong against the wall until the elaborate symbols and twisting lines of a blue spell shattered. Wong's face then showed an expression similar to panic.

As the gas swooped back like some kind of demented snake, Natasha charged the form in an attempt to distract it or even attack it, but it swerved around her fatal weapons. Strange, who had taken to leaning against the agent for support, now had no other defense. Considering the amount of pain the sorcerer must have been experiencing, the teenager was surprised that the man could be standing at all. Therefore, it didn't take much to break down his weakened attempt at hastily formed defenses, and soon he too was hoisted into the air.

Spider-Man then squirmed in the crushing grip without much success. So he fought through the pain enough to kick out at the cosmic demon even though it hurt him much more than it hurt the gaseous creature. Peter was approaching the cloud cover, and the churning weather looked worse close up. He braced himself to pass through the clouds, but the startling excruciation from electrocution that struck caught him off guard. It even overloaded the other pains his body was reporting. An agonizing scream ripped and clawed out from his throat. All he could recognize was the fiery torture spread throughout his limbs. Once it began to die down, Peter could vaguely remember his vision blurring in and out of focus and a shrill ringing in his ears.

Gasping eventually filtered into his brain. There were two unsteady patterns. Doctor Strange was here, too, he realized. The gasping was much heavier from the older man. He sounded like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs, like it hurt to breathe, like it didn't quite travel to his lungs. Panic, Spider-Man recognized, was part of the problem. The Sorcerer Supreme was trembling once Peter managed to shift to get a descent look at him. His hands were shaking violently, but so was the rest of his body. Stephen's eyes were clouded and unfocused, and his lips were slipping over the same, seemingly familiar words repeatedly. Twitching would also add into the trembling ever so often.

The teenager managed to shove himself to his elbows, blocking out any pain, and gazed at the man across from the solid dark ground, which seemed somewhat similar to the gaseous hands.

"Doctor Strange," Peter called. When the sorcerer did not stir, he repeated himself more audibly. Once again, nothing pierced the injured man's anxious haze. So Spider-Man rotated his arm towards the sorcerer and flexed his wrist. The pressurized web shot towards the man's shoulder and stuck stubbornly. This finally pulled Stephen from the nightmare.

The Sorcerer Supreme sucked in a startled breath and sat up swiftly. Pain flashed over the man's face before he gently relaxed back on the soil and looked at the teen. "I'm sorry," he choked out roughly. "This is my fault. She has a personal score to settle with me. I embarrassed her in front of several cosmic beings, and now she has returned with a vengeance."

"Wouldn't be the first time that happened with me," Spider-Man attempted to joke. His voice was also cracked and hoarse.

The doctor struggled to control his breathing, but eventually the noise died down. Peter waited while the sorcerer attempted to stand. When he did the same, the teen almost passed out from the wave of nausea and pain that blinded him. But he stood and so did Strange eventually. The sorcerer swayed a lot before he managed to stay upright though. Sorcerer and spider alike leaned on each other to make their way towards the hazy surroundings.

There were no landmarks or changes in their surroundings. It was as if they alone, but that clearly wasn't true. Doctor Strange generated a sparking whip and held it at the ready before continuing to walk. Spider-Man just glanced around at the indigo mist. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, _or out of the extraordinary_ , Peter thought. But his Spider Sense blared from the back of his mind. The teenager pivoted towards the danger and saw a shrieking woman or form of a woman. She wasn't fully solid. Her form seeped into the mist around the edges, and her hair flowed with submerged properties. The only defined trait she had was a pair of churning red eyes. She look like a psychotic banshee.

And she was also charging towards the pair of superheroes.

Doctor Strange prepared his whip and struck out towards the cosmic being, landing a solid blow to her torso. She ignored any physical pain and raised her arms. Peter felt the world wash around him. Poison. She controlled the dark magic. Strange fell to the ground from a mixture of vertigo and pain, but Spider-Man managed to keep himself on his feet. Through the haze of distractions, Peter careened forward and threw a punch. It sailed wildly off course, but it was proving to be a distraction to the cosmic being.

Doctor Strange appeared to be pulling himself together. Peter didn't mind, he knew the man would conceive something. So he launched another flying kick, and it actually managed to strike something. That something shrieked in several clashing chords causing Peter to flinch despite any warning. But he didn't hesitate to fling his momentum toward her. His left hand impacted her stomach, and she was shoved backward slightly. In reaction to the impact, she formed a steely blade with such a deep shade that it almost looked black, but the teen spotted a few shades of purple in the malicious gleam. With nothing but his web shooters, Peter was forced onto defense. He sidestepped the shimmering spear multiple times. Other times he wasn't as lucky. Several deep gashes sunk into his all-too vulnerable skin. The pain signals from his numb limbs were almost unbearable at that point.

A final swing of his fist was clamped and twisted, and the teenager grunted as a new sense of pain blossomed like a sickly flower. As he fell to the ground clutching his ruined wrist, the Sorcerer Supreme levitated above them all, and the cosmic being followed suit. Several ghostly symbols swirled around him, shadowed in the mist but glowing regardless. Bright green chords of magic spun out from the sorcerer, intertwining into a web of brilliant, sparking magic. As it continued to twist farther away from the magician, his eyes blazed with a possessed quality, while he and his fluttering cloak flickered in and out of view like a faulty recording. The ghostly symbols gathered closer to the doctor, gaining the cosmic being's full attention. She looked furious and slightly nervous. Soon all Peter could see was a cloud of shadowy magic and the flashes of green magic. The symbols combined, and the cluster brightened like a dying star. The green ribbons surrounding Stephen shot towards the cosmic being, and she shoved her hands out before herself as if she were taming wild animals.

Energy exploded from the light. Piercing rays slashed through the mist. One passed straight through the teenager's heart, and he felt its feral beauty. The green ribbons shot past the cosmic woman's outstretched hands and connected to her torso. The light intensified until Peter could no longer look at the magic without shielding his eyes. But it continued to brighten to the point that it hurt even with his eyes closed.

Abruptly, any and all light ceased.

 **Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoyed, and as always, review/favorite/follow. It makes my day! I don't own any characters.**

 **~Kenobi1**


	10. Chapter 10) Oblivion

_As he fell to the ground clutching his ruined wrist, the Sorcerer Supreme levitated above them all, and the cosmic being followed suit. Several ghostly symbols swirled around him, shadowed in the mist but glowing regardless. Bright green chords of magic spun out from the sorcerer, intertwining into a web of brilliant, sparking magic. As it continued to twist farther away from the magician, his eyes blazed with a possessed quality, while he and his fluttering cloak flickered in and out of view like a faulty recording. The ghostly symbols gathered closer to the doctor, gaining the cosmic being's full attention. She looked furious and slightly nervous. Soon all Peter could see was a cloud of shadowy magic and the flashes of green magic. The symbols combined, and the cluster brightened like a dying star. The green ribbons surrounding Stephen shot towards the cosmic being, and she shoved her hands out before herself as if she were taming wild animals._

 _Energy exploded from the light. Piercing rays slashed through the mist. One passed straight through the teenager's heart, and he felt its feral beauty. The green ribbons shot past the cosmic woman's outstretched hands and connected to her torso. The light intensified until Peter could no longer look at the magic without shielding his eyes. But it continued to brighten to the point that it hurt even with his eyes closed._

 _Abruptly, any and all light ceased._

Spider-Man blinked until he could make out the hazy form of the cosmic being and Doctor Strange's majestic silhouette. She was on her knees, and her outline was significantly smaller.

"You cannot claim the Earth as your own," Doctor Strange commanded her with an eerie, multi-pitched voice. "You may now be able to dissolve shields at will as well as your other talents, but the Earth will never be yours for the taking, nor anyone else's. Don't make me settle this score like I did before, Shielliara." Stephen's complexion was beyond pale mixed with the grim expression the glowed across his face, but his voice was authoritative and confident. The cosmic being tilted her head towards the man and glared at the Sorcerer Supreme with a seething hatred, loathing written on more than just her face.

"You will die one day, Strange. You can't fight forever," Shirlliara snarled.

Peter's eyes fixated on hers, amply picking himself off the ground despite the excruciating torture being reported from various nerves in his body. "No, but he will never be alone either," the superhero's voice shook with solid assurance in spite of the anxiety flowering in his mind. Why can't I talk to girls like this?

Shielliara laughed faintly. "Of course," she answered sarcastically before throwing dark magic towards both Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. The teen attempted to dart out of its path, but it still struck his head.

The world darkened before he registered the fact that it was dissipating. His body crashed gracelessly to the ground, but he no longer had any feeling. All he could see was the street down on Earth. There was no damage, no blood, no pain. He was near a table at a surrounding cafe. Nothing happened, he only sat enjoying the silence. Peter turned to survey the environment. His uncle was siting at a table staring out at the street as well, lost in thought. The teenager smiled lightly before getting up to join him. Peter felt serenity.

"This wouldn't happen, Peter," his uncle broke the silence after a while, gazing at him. "You cause pain, not save people from it. You don't try hard enough. A woman just lost her child because of what you did." The street before them had suddenly faded into a broken mess with people rushing past, trying to find dead or dying family members. Any thought of peace died.

The scene startled him. Guilt washed over him in a wave. "Uncle Ben... I'm trying so hard," Peter whispered quietly, voice cracking.

"That's the problem, Peter!" His uncle's voice rose in fiery anger. "You are so selfish! 'I'm trying'. Do you think Aunt May was just trying to work two jobs to support you useless butt?! With great power comes great responsibility, Peter. You don't deserve the power you have! You don't deserve your aunt or Tony! You deserve to be rotting in a box somewhere hidden from the people you failed!"

Spider-Man's breath caught in his throat as it tensed shut from withheld tears, effectively choking him. "I'm sorry, Uncle Ben. I'm so, so sorry." He couldn't hold the tears that streamed down his checks now.

"No, Peter," Uncle Ben muttered with disgust evident in his tone. "I'm sorry that I couldn't raise you well enough. You are a failure." The words stabbedinto the teenager's heart deeper than the physical pain ever did.

The shriek of a bullet rang through the air. Peter blinked feircely through the tears blurring his vision to see his soaking uncle's chest. The gun that shot the bullet slipped from the elder man's fingers and clattered to the ground.

Peter's Uncle slouched forward, and the teen rushed to catch him. The man muttered his last words once again in the superhero's arms. "You deserve this..."

Spider-Man crumpled to the ground as he wallowed in the unbearable pain of guilt and grief.

Peter was being shaken. It took him a while to realize this. The pain was too much for him to care. He couldn't do this. His chin was being lifted up, tilted towards the sky. Except the sky wasn't churning above the cracked street. Dead, exhausted eyes stared into his own.

"Peter." He could distinctly decipher the soft word. "Peter, please. You are okay. Please, it's not reality."

Peter did his best to latch onto the defined face above him, but the expression of his disappointed uncle still swam at the back of his vision.

A strange sensation of warmth flowing into his chest was enough to startle him from his grief. Peter tensed at the touch, but eventually, he relaxed into the hug that the sorcerer was giving him.

Once the other man retracted, the teenager whipped the last few tears from his eyes.

Doctor Strange was kneeling across from him, swaying but persistent. "Peter, like you told me, you are never alone. Whatever you don't believe you deserve, I assure you, no one would deserve it more than you. I haven't known you very long, but your courage and selflessness rivals any I have ever witnessed."

Spider-Man offered a watery, half-hearted smile, "What happened to Shielliara?"

"I sent her to the negative zone," the doctor chuckled at some inside joke. "She'll certainly have fun there."

Peter took a moment before he attempted to stand up. His balance was questionable, but he managed to stay upright longer than it looked like the Sorcerer Supreme would. Just as he predicted, as the man tried to stand, his rocking intensified, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Before Peter could reach out to support the doctor's body, the sorcerer's cloak levitated him off of his feet and provided heavy support for the injured sorcerer. Doctor Strange came to quickly after, only blacking out for a few seconds.

"Sorry," Stephen muttered. "I probably should have guessed that would happen." After the shaky words, the doctor lifted his arms and began to trace a circular pattern into the hazy mist that was rapidly fading around them. A portal similar to the ones Peter saw earlier burning into the air, releasing mutated creatures. The superheroes stumbled through the portal hastily, and it closed on their heels at the earliest possible moment. Stephen seemed nauseated.

Captain America saw the pair emerge from a portal across from the street, and he dropped the price of debris he had been moving with Hawkeye. Then he began sprinting alongside Clint to get to them. They both appeared beyond dead. Strange even had prominent bags underneath his eyes, but the captain guessed that it wasn't just from the battle. Steve decided to have a conversation with both Tony and Doctor Strange about human necessities.

Soon he was beside Peter, supporting him and offering a shoulder. The teenager nodded blankly and limped heavily towards the makeshift alley that designated for the injured superhumans. They weaved in between several Avengers and sorcerers, including a green tinged Bruce. Steve laid Peter down next to Tony, who was protesting against the numerous sets of paramedics holding him down.

"Spider-Man!" the billionaire almost screamed with desperation, still careful to avoid the kid's identity even in such a situation. "Kid! Crap, Kid."

Peter was enveloped in a delicate hug as the genius rolled over to him. After a moment the hug was broken, and Tony commanded a nearby officer to have the superhero airlifted to the nearest hospital. A few people left to go make arrangements.

Clint arrived with Stephen who was already half-unconscious from the movement. Any determination left in the sorcerer was now forgotten and abandoned.

Through the haze and the chaos of noise, Stephen registered a helicopter speeding towards the battleground. Doctor Strange attempted to track the the incoming vehicle, but after a wave of nausea and a sea of stars, he focused his eyesight on Wong's particularly anxious features. Soon paramedics attended to his battered limbs. Eventually, they prepared him to be transferred to a stretcher, but the moment they attempted to move him onto the backboard, Stephen lost any sense of direction. The world faded soon after.

 **Second to last chapter:( I wish it lasted longer, but all good things must come to an end! I just want to thank you guys for the reviews. 14brendale** **, sudoku, and NopeNotTelling, you guys are so sweet! Thank you for all of the support! Just a heads up: once I finish the next chapter, I will be going through the story and re-editing it. Hope you enjoyed, and I don't own anything! See you next week!**

 **~Kenobi1**


	11. The Fate of Earth's Flame

Steve sat in the corner of the sterile room. Two beds were laid out before him containing an injured teenager and billionaire. Tony had to be sedated for a surgery on a collapsed lung. When his suit was crushed, it impaled his defenseless body. Peter's major injury list was much longer including a shattered wrist and several infected wounds. Neither superhero had woken up yet, but Steve was content to listen to the gentle beeping of synchronized heart monitors.

He stood and walked from the room. The two were meant to support each other. Eventually, Captain America knew, the two would be family by everything but blood.

Doctor Stephen Strange had also been through a somewhat-successful surgery, even if he coded twice on the operating table. He was sure the doctors that preformed the miracle were now passed out on a chair somewhere from stress. Steve had to agree with Wong's suspicion of a death wish.

Sorcerers and superheroes alike would have to bond and fight as one if they wanted to keep the Earth safe. Just as the Mastermind had said, the captain reflected, evil was drawn to the Earth like a moth to a flame.

Steve walked down the bloody, broken street outside, letting the hospital door swing shut softly behind him.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

 **Sorry this chapter is so short, but it's just the epilogue! Thank you so much for reading and please tell me what you thought of the story! You could tell it was finals week because _nobody_ updated! XD I'm starting another story, and it should be up sometime in the next few months, so look for that!! Thanks again and please review if you have the chance! :)**

 **~Kenobi1**


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